If you missed our second membership meeting on Jun 22 then you missed a lot! We had new members, guests interested in joining us and quite a few of our existing members, too. The meeting was held at Scuba Network on Commercial Boulevard, and in addition to club news we learned about some of the special services that they offer. And, of course, there was that $100 value door prize of a free trip on Shark Bait with AquaLife Divers.
Let’s start with the big news! Who won the door prize? It was our own Jim LaBrie! His winning number was drawn by last quarter’s winner Matt Constantine, who is shown here presenting Jim with his prize. Jim has made a huge difference in the club already, volunteering to help plan our upcoming Mermaids and Mangroves event on Aug. 2, secured our first collaboration with OutShine Film Festival this past spring, and has made several influential introductions for us. Congratulations, Jim!
The club has been especially grateful for the immediate support shown to us since our early days by Scuba Network’s owner and employees. In addition to a note of welcome from President Ryan Hoffman who was in New York, manager Colin Lee and Instructor Rishi Varma gave a short introduction about what they think makes Scuba Network unique.
Colin told us about the company’s Concierge Shore Diving Experience, where they literally take care of everything. They will meet you at a private parking lot, take you to the entry point for the shore dive, watch your dive flag, and be there when you come out of the water to assist you if needed. If the current pushes you off to a different exit point, don’t worry about it. They will meet you there!
Colin also told us about a trip he is leading this summer to Hawaii — Lava Tubes & Legends: Oahu. He is a former resident and is very excited about the plans for diving in an area that is full of lava tubes, hidden coral reef systems and marine sanctuaries teeming with tropical life. It sounds like the trip of a lifetime with a guide who knows the area like the back of his hand.
In addition to bringing us Ryan’s message, Rishi brought the snacks and the drinks and told us a little bit more about Scuba Network’s open and diverse approach to scuba diving and scuba travel. They run approximately 12 trips per year and go to all corners of the globe.
Rounding out the afternoon was our own Christopher Duncan, who gave a brief “state of the club” update. There are now 36 active members and 63 total people on our email list. Our club finances are looking good, but could do better, as we work toward purchasing a liability insurance policy and adding more perqs for membership. Remember to remind your friends that you are part of starting Out Scuba, and that any donation they can make will help us to do our good work. And if you’re one of those 27 folks who have joined the email list but not joined the club, please consider signing up!